News

Interesting TechnoBiz meetup “Digital fabrication – 3D technology” was held yesterday in INTERA Technology Park, and it attracted a lot of attention.

Over 100 participants – businesspersons, innovators, designers, or simply digital fabrication technology lovers, had the opportunity to learn about practical aspects and innovative applications of these technologies in business and education, as well as in the global expansion technology and science among the population through FabLab/Makerspace/Hackerspace spaces. Renowned guest lecturers from Maribor, Zagreb, Belgrade and Brussels, shared their interesting experience and the latest knowledge of digital fabrication technologies globally.

At the very beginning, Igor Drstvenšek, Ph.D. (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Maribor), held an interesting lecture titled “Additive Manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing – can AM sell?“. Experience from Zagreb in the field of advanced solutions and examples of 3D/additive technologies application was shared by the representatives of 3D groups cluster. Mr. Tomislav Hercigonja from the 3D group said that additive technologies were opening possibilities for individual production, while 3D printers demonstrated that only sky was the limit, as they were already printing everything – from industrial parts to figurines, toys and clothing, to houses.

Digital fabrication/production technologies are a new threshold for industry, and, apparently for the civilisation as a whole. Instead of concentrating production in large industrial centre, which we had so far, the possibility to have it distributed to our homes or at least available in our immediate surroundings has never been closer.

“Huge interest in the topic of today’s event confirmed to us that people in and out of Mostar understand the importance and possibilities of digital fabrication technologies and I believe that thanks in part to the knowledge and information acquired today, they will get creative ideas they will be able to realise using the equipment available here,” Mladen Kostić said on behalf of the organiser, INTERA Technology Park Mostar.

Roberto Vidović from FabLab, Zagreb, spoke about digital fabrication in education and society as the 21st century necessity. He outlined that creative spaces such as the FabLab ones, are places offering everyone access to technologies, and that they are decisive for the development of society based on creation and production, not only on consumerism.

The last, but very interesting topic “STEAM for young people - FIRST Lego League“, was covered by Alen Piljak, Edulab, Belgrade.

For the first time, INTERA TP opened the door of the future FabLab to all the participants. This includes the state of the art technologies and tools – 3D printers, handheld power tools and many other things – all the things needed to make almost anything. Therefore, digital fabrication technologies lovers in Mostar will have a place for innovative, creative and fun thinking and acting.

This event was organised with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway.

We wish to thank all the participants for coming, and the lecturers for interesting and useful presentations.